Seperating broody hen and hatching eggs?

[roosmom]

I did a search and could not find to much related to this so I am asking here.
IF one of my BO's goes broody, I plan on letting her hatch the eggs out. There is NO WAY she can be isolated during this time. Here are my questions:

I think the eggs will be safe while she is sitting on them right? As safe as you can hope for in this situation?

What are some of the other things that go wrong that I may not have read about?

Will the other chickens act alright with the babies when they are born, do you think?

Just planning for it now. Thank you for the answers.

 

[Sissy]

Found my self in the same situation,so
when i found the other hens were walking all
over then and killed two. i took the other three
into the house made a cardboard box warm
(easy to toss after use.) poured wood shavings down.
a light to keep the heat up to 90 for the first week
made sure they ate and took to the 1 qt.water which i put in a teasp. of apple cider vinegar(ACV)
and now they are out and about doing well.
hope this helps..

 

[lowcountrypoultry]

I have only ever had one chicken goe broody in my 12 years of owning poultry. It was a Rhode Island Red female and she was an awesome mom.

My other hens and even my killter roo loved the chicks. It all depends on the chickens.

Best of Luck

-Austin

 

[swtangel321]

Quote:
The eggs should be safe, keep and eye on them just to make sure. Most chickens wont bother others while sitting. One thing to do is mark (with pencil) the eggs you give her to sit on so you know if anyone else is laying in the same nest, you dont want eggs that are going to hatch days apart !!

As far as the chicks go it all depends on your other chickens, I have never had a problem with my flock and chicks... Some do. I would at least give her the chance to raise them and only remove them if needed !!

Good luck when you decide to hatch !!

 

[ozark hen]

Before my dh built me a brooder pen he made me this little pen. He used hardware cloth and made a circle out of it. I use a bit of chicken wire over the top to keep the little ones safe.
Here is a good pic of the "brooder cage", I also use it to introduce the little ones to the yard on sunny days.

Here is pic of my broody hen inside with her newly hatched chicks. The rest of the flock could see and hear them but couldn't harm them. I just kept fresh food and water inside for them. After two weeks I propped the bottom up and she took them out but returned them to the cage at roosting time, I then closed it up till the next morning for a couple more weeks before letting them all out. They stayed with her and she didn't let anybody bother them.

Last pic is of the new chicks outside with mom and the flock.

By looking at the pics...I don't think I have the "time dates" correct, looks to me like they were able to join the flock much sooner than I posted.

 

[chickorama]

How broody is the hen?? I have a BO hen that will sit on eggs and is broody, but gets off them frequently. On the other hand , I have another hen who will not get off her eggs no matter what. She would probably protect her chicks. However, the BO hen would probably not make a very good mother. It all depends on how broody they are.

 

[vfem]

I have my hen in the coop on eggs with all the others chickens and roo. I'll leave everything as is for now, then watch closely. If it gets too rough in there for the babies, I'll move them inside to a warm brooder. Sitting in there before hatch everything seems just fine!

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
had 2 hens go broody . I moved the NEST with the eggs and Hen into a cage . The minute she would get off nest to eat or drink , other hens would jump on her nest to lay . I did not want them to break her eggs , So , I moved her and the nest . I made sure she had plenty food and water in the cage . Like this is her private place and she feels more secure . I actually had to lift my hen off the nest to get her to eat and drink . She would take only a couple of bites and sips and jump right back on . I usually after about 5 days of the chicks hatching , I just put my hen back with the flock and keep the chicks separate from the main flock until they are about 3 months old . That moma hen needs to get back to her usual " thing " of eating , drinking and within maybe 2 to 4 weeks start laying again . She will put up a fuss not to be away from her chicks , BUT worked for me .

 

[roosmom]

Thank you all for the replies. I am planning.......plainning for when this happens. Maybe it wont, maybe the hen or hens wont co-operate, lol.
I am hoping to start a clutch of eggs in January sometime. I am going to give two (hens) to my mom (she so enjoyed my chickens this summer). My DH and I will build her a coop and run that is easily accessible for her.
It shouldnt really be viewable from her windows tho. Part of the reasoning for that is so she gets OUTSIDE some everyday, lol. She will also get eggs which she will have to gather daily. YES I AM EVIL.

Since I am planning this for Jan. the hens will have to do all the work. Thus, my questions. Thank you again.